This invention relates to a one-piece set of disposable or throw-away tongs for gripping ice and the like, and a method of making the throw-away tongs.
Many commercial establishments, such as airlines, prepare and serve consumable products with throw-away serving pieces. To accommodate the service of iced beverages aboard commercial aircraft, the commercial airlines currently store stainless steel ice tongs. The disposal of the relatively expensive stainless steel tongs after a one-time use represents a substantial expenditure. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a set of relatively inexpensive throw-away utility tongs and method of making such utility tongs.
In the manufacture of ice tongs, it is important that the number of pieces in the construction be minimized so that the attendant assembly costs are also minimized. Prior art tong constructions which incorporated a blade spreading hinge, have not been entirely satisfactory because the hinge does not always retain its "spring", and, after limited use, the object-gripping blades would sometimes not be automatically restored to their fully spread, object-receiving positions. Continued use of such tongs was only possible if the blades were manually spread and this interfered with the efficient working of the tongs.
Later tong constructions included spring members reacting between the object-gripping blades to normally urge the blades to spread positions so that an object could be easily received therebetween, but permitting movement thereof to closed object-gripping positions. This, of course, increased the manufacturing costs.
Previous plastic tong constructions have a relatively small object biting or gripping portion which inhibits the gripping of objects. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide utility tongs of the type described which can hold an object along a substantial portion of its length.
Low packaging and shipping costs are important factors in a profitable ice tong business. In the high volume, low margin, ice tong industry, packaging and shipping charges can represent a substantial percentage of the total overhead. Although conventional ice tongs are not particularly heavy, they are bulky and this greatly adds to the packaging and shipping costs. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of making ice tongs which permits them to be compactly stacked for shipment.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a set of ice tongs which can be easily, finally assembled at the point of use.